Friday, 22 May 2015

It's an issue that could be endlessly debated, though I lean towards this position myself... Figuring out the complexities and psychologies of 200 years ago is a challenge of course. Nice to have this counterpoint to all the boring old anglophile accounts at any rate.

I also listened to the Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast last year, which takes a similar positive view. Over 100 hours of listening there! Great to have these things to listen to while painting.

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

I started wargaming with Napoleonics as a teenager. While cleaning out the cupboards at her house my mother found a few non-digital photos of games I played over 20 years ago, which I've photographed digitally and uploaded. Looks like a Hundred Days campaign battle based rather loosely on Quatre Bras if I remember correctly. Well... it had a crossroads anyway! The quality of the photos is pretty terrible but shows the sort of thing I was doing at the time.

The figures were 1/72nd, mainly Esci (Now sold by Italeri) with many conversions to get the sort of troops I wanted. French and British, and I remember painting up Nassau and Brunswickers, and British Guards in white trousers (and possibly even bearskins!!). Rather carried away with artistic license in that latter case. I sold them all about 15 years ago. However the Napoleonic flame didn't die and is now back from Elba and re-establishing the Empire in 28mm.

Here's a table in my parent's basement.

On the left flank, French assaulting some allied squares. Those flags and uniforms near the top left behind the hill might be some Brunswickers from the looks of things.

In the centre.

Right flank.

I also took them along to a Wargaming Convention, this must have been around 1994 I think.

Individual casualty removal apparently. Rules were pretty terrible!

Well that's it, not much to see really, but nice to have a few last memories of them and thought a few other people might like to have a look!

Currently finishing off last of the figures I need for Waterloo, some much better pics soon!

Sunday, 10 May 2015

It's that time of the century when wargamers all over the world are getting ready for the bicentennial of Waterloo. I've been polishing off heaps of French infantry, and now have a dozen 24 strong units, plus three 12 strong units of skirmishers. These are all Perry plastic figures, though I selected only models without greatcoats for this group as I think they look better. The skirmishers have a role in the second Waterloo game we'll be playing using General de Brigade. For the first game using Blackpowder they are abstracted and not required.

Before June 13 I need to get another dozen French Lancers, 4 artillery and some generals done. In the first Waterloo I'm taking the role of Lobau and in the second Ney so they are also on the painting table!

There are also many interesting pictures of the construction process. Here's Lt General Rhys Jones (ex-CinC of New Zealand Defence Force), Sir Peter Jackson and the Perry Twins surveying some of the figures prior to them being put into the display.

About Me

Hi I'm Mark from New Zealand. I started Wargaming in the 1980's with the late and great Donald Featherstone's book "Wargames" and Esci and Airfix plastic Napoleonic figures. As a teenager I borrowed Don's book from the public library repeatedly, eventually finding others with the same interest. I've been hooked ever since, with Wargames Research Group's DBX series, and Games Workshop's Specialist Games also featuring prominently.